Over at Liberal Conspiracy, Sunny asks four questions. 1) Is Labour still the vehicle for liberal-left ideals? 2) Or is that only because it is in power? 3) What should be the future for party financing? 4) How can any grass-roots liberal-left movement have impact? Here are my answers. 1. Is Labour still the vehicle [...]

The Oxford Union is a private debating society; only members can attend its proceedings. Its appeal for speakers is in being able to influence some of the top minds in the UK and the world and, of course, being recognised as worthy of such an opportunity. It does not matter a hoot whether people outside [...]

It is probably not an unreasonable fiat to say that certain newspapers – the Mail, the Sun – would regard the Health & Safety Executive as ‘elf ‘n safety nazis. Two recent events give the lie to that position.Common sense is, as we know, not that common. What is obvious to one person is not [...]

BHP Billiton is proposing to buy Rio Tinto for US£120bn. They are the two largest mining and commodities companies in the world, with turnovers for 2007 of US$32.2bn and US$25.4bn respectively. Combined, that is US$57.6bn, which would, if it were a state, put it 59th out of 180 countries, between Vietnam and Slovakia, by GDP [...]

As many people will be aware, the Government has made only the barest of concessions towards helping Iraqis employed by British forces in Iraq who are being hunted down by death squads who view them as collaborators. Regardless of your opinion or lack thereof on the war in Iraq (for the record, I opposed it), [...]

Those missing CDs Apart from providing endless fodder for fake eBay auctions and amusing photos, one thing that I hope comes out of Revenue-gate is a desire to keep tabs on data protection, privacy and computer security in all public bodies. To that end, I think the Government should cause to be published, all in [...]

A protest took place today in Central London, so far as I can see, against the PKK by Turks. I only know about it because I walked past it and there were lost of people waving Turkish flags, carrying placards opposing the PKK & terrorism and chanting ‘No to terrorism, no to the PKK’. I [...]

…with this campaign ad. xD.

Spiked asks, via Chris Dillow, for what things we should give thanks to America. 1. ICANN. While I hope that net neutrality is maintained, ICANN, possibly more than any organisation, keeps the internet ticking over. It was set up by the US Government. 2. Cinema. While an awful lot of rubbish comes out of Hollywood, [...]

I am delighted to have had a letter published in today’s Guardian; it’s the second one down on this page. It reads Your article (It was murder: the Chávez version of liberator’s death, November 17) neglects the importance of Bolívar’s last days to any interpretation of his impact on Latin America. Reviled by the educated [...]